Bags



Jan. 25, 1966 A. o. FLETCHER BAGS Filed Nov. 9, 1964 IPMZZ'L.

United States Patent 3,231,174 BAGS Ather 0. Fletcher, Houston, Tex.,assignor to Bernie Bro. Bag Company, Minneapolis, Minn., a corporationof Missouri Filed Nov. 9, 1964, Ser. No. 409,800 2 Qiaims. (Cl. 22966)This invention relates to bags, and more particularly to an unravelablestitch type closure for bags.

In certain respects, this invention is an improvement upon a closuresuch as described in U.S. Patent 2,978,164 issued April 4, 1961,comprising a paper tape folded around an end of a bag and extendingbeyond the side edges of the bag, a line of single-thread stitchingdriven through the tape and through the walls of the bag and unravelableby pulling it from one end, and a tab adhered by adhesive to the tapeover this one end of the thread and adapted to be grasped and pulled:away from the tape to unravel the thread. Among the several objects ofthis invention may be noted the provision of closure of this generalclass, also having a tab adapted to be grasped and pulled away from thetape to unravel the thread, but in which the tab is held in place bybeing caught in the stitching; and the provision of such a closure inwhich, without adhesive, the stated end of the thread is sufficientlyanchored to minimize the possibility of the thread unraveling it isdesired to open the bag, without making it any more diificultdeliberately to unravel the thread when it is desired to open the bag.Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointedout hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions hereinafterdescribed, the scope of the invention being indicated in the followingclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possibleembodiments of the invention is illustrated.

FIG. 1 is a view in elevation of one end of a bag having a closure ofthis invention, showing the needle side of the closure;

FIG. 2 is a view showing the unraveling of the thread; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section taken on line 33 of FIG. 1.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding partsthroughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, a multiwall paper bag having an end closureof this invention is indicated at 1. For simplicity, the bag is shown asa two-ply bag, the inner ply being designated 3 and the outer ply 5. Itwill be understood that a multiwall b ag usually will have more than twoplies. As shown, the bag is a gusseted bag, the gussets being indicatedat 7. The closure includes a paper tape 9 folded around the end of thebag. A line of stitching indicated at 11 is driven through the tape andthrough the walls of the bag securing together the walls adjacent theend of the bag. The length of the tape 9 is greater than the width ofthe bag, and the tape has end portions 13 and 15 which extend past theside edges of the bag. The stitching 11 extends completely throughoutthe length of the tape and, as shown, is driven through a narrow paperribbon 17 constituting a so-called filler cord located on the side ofthe bag which is referred to as the needle side, this side being theside which faced the needle of the sewing machine employed forstitching. This filler cord extends throughout the length of the tape.

In accordance with this invention, the stitching at 11 is of a singlethread readily unravelable chain stitch type. The single thread used forthis stitching is desig- 3,231,174 Patented Jan. 25, 1966 nated 19. Aswill be understood by those conversant with the art, the stitching isformed by feeding the bag with the tape 9 folded around the end of thebag through a sewing machine having a needle which drives loops 21 (seeFIG. 3) of the thread 19 through the bag, thereby forming needle holes23 in the bag (see FIG. 2), the loops extending from the needle side ofthe tape 9 through the needle holes to the other side of the tape, eachloop being laid over on the said other side and extending through thepreceding loop 21. Reference may be made to United States Patent2,978,164 for a detailed illustration of this type of stitching, whichis unraveled with ease by taking hold of that end of the thread which isat the trailing end of the stitching in relation to the passage of thebag through the sewing machine, this being the end of the thread at thatend of the stitching in the direction in which the loops are laid over(the right end of the stitching as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of thedrawings herein). It will be understood that unraveling proceeds bysuccessively pulling out the loops 21, the pulling out of each loopfreeing the next loop so that it may be pulled out.

At 25 is indicated a pull tab, which may be made of paper, for example,lying between the tiller cord 17 and the paper tape 9, the tab beingheld in place by the line of stitching 11. The tab 25 is located at theend of the stitching from which unraveling of the. thread 19 progresses.By locating the tab on the nee-die side of the tape 9 beneath fillercord 17, the filler cord and thread 19 are removable with the tab asshown in FIG. 2. The length of the tab 25 is such that the tab extendsinwardly from the end of the tape and filler cord and overlaps theadjacent gusset 7 of the bag 1. The tab 25 is substantially wider thanthe filler cord and, with the end stitch 27 cut as inherently resultsfrom the mode of manufacture of the bag, the outer end portion of thetab together with the end of the filler cord may be grasped and pulledto unravel the thread. By locating the tab between the filler cord andthe tape, it is held in place solely by the stitching, without the useof adhesive. Despite the elimination of adhesive, it has been found thatwith the stitching driven through the filler cord, then the tab and thenthe tape 9, the end portion of the thread 19 between the right side edgeof the bag (as viewed in FIG. 1) and the outer end of portion 15 of thetape is sufliciently anchored to minimize the possibility of the threadunraveling until it is desired to open the bag, without making it anymore dificult deliverately to unravel the thread when it is desired toopen the bag.

To open the bag, all that needs be done is to take hold of the right endof the filler cord 17 and the tab 25 between the thumb and forefinger,and pull them outwardly away from tape 9 of bag 1 as shown in FIG. 2.The tab comes away from the tape, carrying with it the filler cord 17and thread 19, the thread unraveling as it is pulled out of the needleholes 23 in the tape 9.

In View of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of theinvention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above construct-ions withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

What is claimed is:

1. A bag having at least one end closure constituted by a tape foldedaround the respective end of the bag, a filler cord on one side of thetape, a tab positioned between the tape and the filler cord andextending inwardly from one end of the tape, and a line of stitchingdriven through the filler cord, the tab, the tape and the Walls of thebag and extending throughout the length of the tape, the stitching beingof a single thread readily unravela'ble chain stitch type which hasloops extending from said one side of the tape through needle holes tothe other side of the tape, each loop being laid over on said other sideof the tape, said thread being readily unravelable by pulling it fromsaid one end of the tape, the end of said filler cord and the tab atsaid one end of the tape being free for being grasped and pulled toseparate the tab and filler cord from the bag and unravel the thread.

2. A bag having an end closure constituted by a paper tape folded aroundthe respective end of the bag, the length 'of the tape being greaterthan the width of the bag and the tape having end portions extendingpast the side edges of the bag, a filler cord on one side of the tapeand extending throughout the length of the tape, a tab positionedbetween the tape and the filler cord and extending from one end of thetape inwardly past the adjacent side edge of the bag, the tab beingWider than the filler cord, and a line of stitching driven through thefiller cord, the tab, the tape and the walls of the bag and extendingthroughout the length of the tape and the tiller cord, the stitchingbeing of a single thread readily unravelable chain stitch type which hasloops extending from one said side of the tape through needle holes tothe other side of the tape, each loop being laid over on said other sideof the tape, said thread being readily unravelable by pulling it fromsaid one end of the tape, the stitch at said one end of the tape beingcut so that the end of the filler cord and tab at said one end of thetape are free to be grasped and pulled to separate said tab and fillercord from the bag and unravel the thread.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,030,003 4/ 1962Sohanzle 22966 3,045,890 7/1962 Swanson 22966 3,100,596 8/1963 Williamset al. 22966 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION I Patent No.3,231,174 January 25, 1966 Ather O. Fletcher It is hereby certified thaterror appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and thatthe said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

In the grant, line 2, for "Bemis Bro. Bag Company, of

Minneapolis, Minnesota" read Bemis Company, Inc. line 12, for "BemisBro. Bag Company, its successors" read Bemis Company, Inc., itsuccessors in the heading to the printed specification, lines 3 and 4,for "Bemis Bro. Bag Company, Minneapolis Minn." read Bemis Company, Inc.column 1, line 28 for "unraveling it" read unraveling until. it line 38for "illustrated." read illustrated, column 2, line 49, for"deliverately" read deliberately Signed and sealed this 27th day ofDecember 1966. (SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST w. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner ofPatents

2. A BAG HAVING AN END CLOSURE CONSTITUTED BY A PAPER TAPE FOLDED AROUNDTHE RESPECTIVE END OF THE BAG, THE LENGTH OF THE TAPE BEING GREATER THANTHE WIDTH OF THE BAG AND THE TAPE HAVING END PORTIONS EXTENDING PAST THESIDE EDGES OF THE BAG, A FILLER CORD ON ONE SIDE OF THE TAPE ANDEXTENDING THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH OF THE TAPE, A TAB POSITIONED BETWEENTHE TAPE AND THE FILLER CORD AND EXTENDING FROM ONE END OF THE TAPEINWARDLY PAST THE ADJACENT SIDE EDGE OF THE BAG, THE TAB BEING WIDERTHAN THE FILLER CORD, AND A LINE OF STITCHING DRIVEN THROUGH THE FILLERCORD, THE TAB, THE TAPE AND THE WALLS OF THE BAG AND EXTENDINGTHROUGHOUT THE LENGTH OF THE TAPE AND THE FILLER CORD, THE STITCHINGBEING OF A SINGLE THREAD READILY UNRAVELABLE CHAIN STITCH TYPE WHICH HASLOOPS EXTENDING FROM ONE SAID SIDE OF THE TAPE THROUGH NEEDLE HOLES TOTHE OTHER SIDE OF THE TAPE, EACH LOOP BEING LAID OVER ON SAID OTHER SIDEOF THE TAPE, SAID THREAD BEING READILY UNRAVELABLE BY PULLING IT FROMSAID ONE END OF THE TAPE, THE STITCH AT SAID ONE END OF THE TAPE BEINGCUT SO THAT THE END OF THE FILLER CORD AND TAB AT SAID ONE END OF THETAPE ARE FREE TO BE GRASPED AND PULLED TO SEPARATE SAID TAB AND FILLERCORD FROM THE BAG AND UNRAVEL THE THREAD.